Breaking Point
by Marjorie K. Place
Summary: Alternative Piece to Girl Under Fire. What if Chris had been on that ship in Fod's capture? Will his love for Brody be strong enough to get them through? Short story. Brody/LaSalle/Fod
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is an alternative piece to the final ARC of Girl Under Fire. Most likely it will be just a couple of chapters. But I thought it was angle that might be fun to explore.** **No need to have read G.U.F. but if you have you can assume that everything that has happened save for the last chapter is still intact.**

 **Warning: Contains course language, implied torture and adult situations.** **Rated M just to be safe**.

Chris LaSalle had been thrown into the lion's den and was about to be devoured, not in the physical sense but in the psychological. It started off as a series of nothing but flashing lights with an occasional image here and there. But then they gave him something to make his mind more susceptible to suggestion. The images started to become more frequent and personal. Most of them had to do with Brody and _him,_ the man who was responsible for LaSalle's imprisonment.

For months now, Chris had been sticking his nose in where it didn't belong trying to gather intel on the man who had kidnapped and tortured his partner and coming up with nothing. But he suspected that now he was going to get more than he bargained for. Fod had been unable to rid him from Brody's life in the flesh so now he was going for the heart. If he could destroy the agent's resolve and turn him against her, he would have the opportunity he needed to finish Brody.

They were together, in the intimate sense, doing things that lovers do.

Some of the images were authentic of Brody's effort to free her sister from the sadistic monster, while others had been produced by one of Fod's minions. Only LaSalle couldn't tell the difference. To him, it looked like the two of them had a torrid affair. Soft kisses and touches combined with the grind of two bodies meshing together in raw primal heat. If LaSalle had to guess, Brody was either thoroughly enjoying herself or one hell of an actress. Hour after hour he was subjected to watching him take every inch of her, pleased with the sounds of her moans. If he was the kind of guy who enjoyed watching his girl with another guy he probably would have gotten off on it. But he wasn't. A thousand questions were racing through his mind.

Then the music came. This was Fod's way of trying to create a trigger. Naturally, it was one of Merri's favorite songs. Chris recognized it right away as one that he had down loaded to her phone so that she could listen to it in the car or when she was running.

The more he tried to fight the images the stronger and more intense they became. They were everywhere on the walls, on the ceiling and even at one point the floor. The music became louder, so loud that the only thing he could think about was the sound of the blood pounding in his ears.

When he tried to drown it all out he was dragged from the room and bound with his hands secured above his head. At least he was away from the images he thought as he valiantly took the cliché punch to the gut.

Then the blindfold came. It was to create additional anxiety and it was working.

"She betrayed you," a sweet voice similar to Merri's whispered in his ear over and over. "Wouldn't you like to get back at her?" she laughed, as she clutched his face in her palm, her fingernails digging into his cheeks. "Say it. She betrayed you."

"Go to hell, bitch." If this was a game of uncle they were going to have to do better than that. He was sure that nothing was going to dispel those images he'd been subjected to but he would damned if he let them know that.

Then came that damn music again. It blasting all over the god dang ship. Chris had to wonder how long Fod's crew would be able to stand it. He knew something else had to be coming otherwise they wouldn't have pulled him out of the room with the continuous footage.

Chris remembered how Fod's men had water boarded Brody and beat her senseless, so he knew it was going to be painful to say the least.

"Well, Agent LaSalle. Tell me how did you enjoy the show?" It was Fod. His voice seemed to be all around him. Twisting, Chris tried to turn toward the direction where the voice seemed to be the strongest but he only succeeded in exerting himself. If he had to guess, Fod wasn't actually in the room.

"It seems that we have something in common," there was man was right up in LaSalle's face but he could tell by the man's height that it wasn't Fod. "We both like to be inside, Meredith Brody."

Chris wanted to rip this guy a new asshole and then put a bullet through his head. His jaw set, he marshaled his rage and put on his best poker face. Stay strong and silent and you might get out of this alive a little voice whispered from the depths of his tortured soul.

He kept waiting for a gun to go off or another knife in the back but it never came. Instead he got a couple of sucker punches, followed by another needle stick. This time it was some sort of fast acting hallucinogen. He felt the burn in neck his as the liquid started to pulse through his veins. So this is how they were planning to get to him.

He could take it. He would hold out for as long as it took for Pride and the others to get here. All he had to do was tell himself that this was Fod, the master manipulator and he would be fine or so he thought.

* * *

By the time the third day rolled around Chris was exhausted and strung out. Every time he closed his eyes he would see Brody with Fod and that f-ing song. It was stuck in his head on repeat. So, he fought it. He was so damn sleep deprived that he was certain it he weren't stung up he would fall over.

He had the routine down now. It was like they kept him stuck on a vindictive cycle of no sleep and drugs. He'd stopped telling the girl who sounded Merri to f—off everytime she came near him. He had learned if he just repeated her phrase, that she would quickly go away. As for the images, he had them all memorized now and could predict the sound the Brody's laugh, her moans and whatever noises other little noises she made.

Nope, they weren't getting to him.

But by the end of the day, they added something new to the routine: water. A fire sprinkler above his head to exact. Whatever chemical they had added to it beat down on him like hard freezing rain. But it didn't matter, he was done.

* * *

Brody entered the lower compartment of the ship with her heart pounding and her weapon trained. For three and half days, she had lived with the horror that her partner was going through god knows what and that lead after lead had ended in heart wrenching disappointed and terror. Until now. Abigail had given them a tip on an idle ship on the boarder of the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico.

Merri knew immediately when she boarded and heard her favorite song playing that this had to be it. It was part of Fod's obsession with her. Memories of her own torture at his hands plagued her as she moved about.

And there it was: a red watertight door, where all of the others were a dull gray. Her hand shook as she began to turn the wheel. She knew that Chris had to be inside the compartment but what kind of shape was he in?

Oh god. There he was hanging and blindfolded with his head titled to the side. Was he dead? He looked half drown. How long had he been under the falling water?

"Pride! Over here!" she shouted before running to her partner.

"Chris? Chris!" she cried stepped into the freezing spray. Pressing to her tip toes, she gently touched the side of his face.

Reacting to her touch, LaSalle flinched violently. "Ok, she betrayed me." He said incoherently.

What? Brody's face contorted for a moment. "Hang on, I'm going to cut you down." She pulled the blindfold down so that it hung around his neck before she reached for her pocket knife.

Gently, she brushed up against him as she pressed to her tip-toes to cut through the bindings that where holding him upright. But as her chest made contact with his, he started to buck and kick knocking her flat on her backside.

"Get the fuck away from me!" he snarled as Pride and Percy rushed in. For a moment, Brody looked hurt until she remembered her own experience with Fod. He was just in shock she reasoned.

Rising to her feet, she watched as Pride and Percy supported her partner between them. For whatever reason, Chris seemed to be glaring at her heatedly.

"You're going to be ok." She said trailing a hand down his wet back as they walked by.

On the helicopter, Brody sat on the bench across from Percy. Chris was lying between them on a stretcher wrapped in warming blankets.

Reaching into her pack, Brody pulled out a bottle of water and knelt to floor, unscrewing the cap. "Hey, why don't you try a couple of sips," she smiled. But again he was glaring. She'd seen this glare before, it was the one that he reserved especially for the lowest of suspects.

"I don't want anything from you." He retorted sounding a little more coherent than he had been before. Brody exchanged looks with Percy before consenting to put the water back into her pack.

Maybe he just needed more time?

* * *

At the hospital, Brody sat at his bedside while he slept. All in all she was surprised at how little he seemed to have suffered physically. Other than a few bruises here and there he looked fine. But that didn't account for the hypothermia, dehydration and the toxicity in his blood stream. It would take a day or two but eventually she would be able to take him home and start putting Fod behind them.

Hearing him whimper, she reached over, touching his cheek. She was intent on giving him a kiss until he reared up and grabbed her wrist. Brody saw the look in his eye and instantly knew he meant her harm.

"Let me go." She said gently assuming that he was still suffering from whatever drugs they had given him.

Nostrils flaring he gave her a shove. "Get out."

"Ok," Brody felt a stab in her chest. She didn't yet understand what he had been through nor the purpose behind it. Collecting herself, she started for the door. Her hand was already on the handle when she decided to turn around.

"I love you." She said earning a scowl as the images began to play in his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Thank you to Trina Tiffany, randysunshine 80, and DHudson for adding this story to their alert.

 **Whatshername** : My mind always works in continuous plot twists, not sure why that is exactly but after I post something I always think what if we had gone in this direction instead. As far as the original goes I love it too but Child of Loki got me thinking when she said that this story could have been 3-4 separate stories. So we now have the alternative.

A/N II: There may be some slight plot changes here and there for this story to flow properly.

* * *

Pride and Percy didn't seem to think that LaSalle had a problem, but Brody knew better. Since his release from the hospital, she noticed the shine that gone out from his eyes and that he was always looking for a way to avoid her. At first, she thought it was just the shock and the stress of having suffered two life threatening incidents so close together.

Unlike her co-workers, Brody noticed the little things. The curt undertones in his voice whenever she spoke to him and the tense body language. He seemed to flinch or stiffen every time she got close. Then there was just the plain lack of intimacy, not that things hadn't been rocky before but now they had fallen off the cliff and committed romantic suicide. But then, that might have something to do with the fact that Chris treated her like an absolute stranger. It was almost as if they had never been in love at all.

What she didn't know was that he had completely voided all of his emotional ties to her as a way to deal with those goddamn images that were always popping up in his head. And that song! Did she have to play it all of the time? He would thought she would gotten the hint when he taken her phone and chucked it out the passenger's side window of the truck just so that he could get some relief from the constant streaming in his head.

She didn't know that Fod's team had embedded subliminal messages within the images that Chris had been forced to watch. Nor did she know that the sound of her voice was an unconscious trigger designed to set off intense anger and hostility. Although it might not have seemed like much to the untrained civilian, Fod was an evil genius.

* * *

Brody looked at Savannah expectantly as she came out of the gate that led to Chris' courtyard. She hadn't really wanted to call the pretty counselor, but given the success Savannah had been able to achieve with Cade, she was someone that Chris trusted.

"Well?"

Savannah frowned sympathetically at the agent. "He says he's fine. He was very calm, relaxed. He didn't flinch when I touched him." For the most part she was saying that he was the same ol' Chris LaSalle that everyone had come to know and love.

"Ok," Brody pushed out a long sigh. She had hoped that Savannah might be able to shed some light on things.

Savannah touched the agent's arm. "I have to be honest with you, this sort of thing is way above my pay grade. There could be more and maybe I'm just not seein' it. I'll make some calls, try to bring in an expert."

"Thank you." Brody managed a slight smile. Now that Sam Wilkins was out of the picture she and Chris both needed someone who knew how to handle their issues. Boy did they have issues. When all was said and done it would probably take a team of shrinks to just to sort everything out.

"I'll be in touch."

For several seconds, Brody stood staring at the gate, contemplating. Her partner's behavior was becoming more and more irrational. Not that she blamed him really given her own experience with Fod. But when she had gone through it, she had sought the comfort of her family and co-workers. She hadn't tried to push them away.

Well, let's be honest here. The only person Chris was actually pushing away was her. He didn't seem to have a problem with Pride and Percy or anyone else for that matter. His verbal attacks toward her seemed to be so personal.

Tentatively, she opened the gate and walked inside. Chris was sitting at the kitchen table busily constructing a new Lego structure for the Children's Hospital.

"What's this?" she asked trying to take an interest. It had been ages since she'd seen him try to build a model out of the colorful plastic bricks.

Chris stopped what he was doing and shifted his eyes. "How'd you get in here?"

"You gave me a key," She and Daisy had been living there since the night Fod had attacked them in the alleyway. Brody had a couple of drawers and half the wardrobe. Well, it was actually three quarters when she had a good chunk of her clothing in there. They were on their way to becoming a family until Fod had struck again.

"I'm gonna need that back." He replied going back to his Legos. He didn't even bother to look up at her because he knew if he did there would be a confrontation. Despite all of the torture there was still a piece of him that loved her and was capable of rational thought.

"Chris," There was a hinge of surprise and hurt in her voice.

"Leave. The. Key." He repeated slowly in his typical southern drawl.

Brody clenched her jaw as she palmed the table. "I don't know what happened to you on that ship, but if you have a problem with me just come out and say it.!" She was tired of the dirty looks and the loathing tone of his voice.

Chris pushed to his feet and leaned forward trying to force her to take a step back. When she didn't, he backhanded the Lego structure off of the table. Little pieces of brick went flying across the dining area and into the living room.

"Let's just say, it was an enlightening experience."

That scared her. It terrified her really. It was almost like someone had flipped a switch turning him into all of the things he wasn't. Normally intense, beautiful, sapphire eyes now looked almost demonic.

He circled around the table and rushed at her, grabbing her arm. Unprepared, she lost her balance and stumbled when her heel got caught in nick in the hardwood floor.

Damn it, he was actually manhandling her like he would a suspect.

"Stop," she demanded, afraid he was going to toss her right through the glass French doors. She had only used her aikido skills on him once before when he had tried to make her face her fears about returning to her home after the kidnapping. But now he was giving her no choice. She tried to push her weight into him but her damn heels kept working against her. Definitely not the most practical shoes when trying to take down your partner and possessed soul mate.

She grabbed his shirt front and tried to spin him around but only succeeded in making the two of them tumbled over the arm of the couch. Together, they fell to the floor with Chris landing on top of her, trapping in her a very vulnerable position. He had her pinned to the floor in the space between the couch and the pool table.

Her first thought was to try to fight him off but she quickly thought differently. This wasn't the man she knew and loved. The Chris LaSalle she knew would never treat a woman this way. Despite the fact that he'd been raised with a strict set of Southern manners, it just wasn't in his DNA. Debating on a counter strategy, she secured her hand behind his neck, pulling him hard against her straining body. Knowing that she only had about ten seconds before he bolted, she began to whisper softly against his lips.

"I did not betray you." She decided to take a chance, recalling the words he had muttered when she found him, hypothermic and drugged out his mind. She wasn't sure why he had said them but judging by the wild look in his eyes she had struck some sort of chord. He looked at her conflicted as hell.

Spotting a large eye hook sticking out of the corner of the pool table, she had an idea. All she needed was for him to give her some wiggle space. Jutting out her chin, she attempted to kiss him forcing him to push away.

Pulling back, he had unknowingly created the perfect opportunity for her to reach around for her handcuffs. Before he had even gotten up onto his knees, she had cuffed one of his wrists and secured the other half of her handcuffs to the eye hook.

Rolling away from him, she jumped to her feet. She really hated the fact that she had just handcuffed him to the pool table, but she couldn't take a chance that he wouldn't come after her again.

Wild eyed, he tugged against the cuffs. Brody hadn't anticipated that whatever influence he was under had made his body forget that he was still recovering from three near fatal stab wounds. He was really struggling and she hoped that he wouldn't succeed in pulling out the eye hook.

"Stay there!" She spat. "And by the way, I'm keeping my key," she added smartly as she left him, seething mad, handcuffed to the pool table. On her way out the door, she swiped his cell phone, car keys and his P228 from the kitchen table. Chris was resourceful and should he find a way to get loose, he sure as hell didn't need to be running all over town with a loaded weapon.

* * *

The idea of confronting Fod directly had not occurred to her until after her tumble with LaSalle on the couch. Now working as an informant for the U.S. Government, the criminal mastermind was now living large in the most exclusive detention facility that taxpayer money could buy.

He was lazily watching some sporting event on the 42 inch flat screen he'd been afforded when she strolled in. "Well, I see that even now that you have precious Agent LaSalle back that you couldn't stay away."

Brody dismissed the guard that was accompanying her and stared hard at her evil nemesis. "Don't flatter yourself." She scoffed.

Curious, Fod rose to his feet and joined her at the bars that separated them. "Then tell me Meredith to what do I owe this honor?"

Not wanting to put herself into another compromising position, Brody took a step back, creating distance between them. "I want to know what you did to LaSalle."

Fod looked at her coy, now that he had inked his agreement with the government; he was immune to any further persecution. "Does he not look at you with the same endearment that he used to?"

"What did you do to him?" she snarled, lunging forward as Fod found amusement in her overabundance of emotion.

"My dear, it isn't what I did to him. It's what you did to him."

A/N: My apologies for any typos. My wireless mouse seems to have developed a mind of its own. It likes to move words and sometimes complete sentences when I use the copy and paste function.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ok, this chapter is beginning of the Cherriness of the story. Kudos to TV Guide for listing Brody and LaSalle as two TV characters who should "Do it!" (Become a ship). Totally made my day! Thank you to for sharing that. Thank you all for continuing to read my crazy adventure. I will be posting the conclusion to the original version later this weekend.**

Still handcuffed to the pool table, LaSalle haphazardly threw a tennis ball that Daisy had brought him. As the dog scampered across the living the room to retrieve it his mind began to fill with memories of Brody and the playful pup.

 _Brody waited patiently as he disappeared into the bedroom and quickly returned with a beautiful, eight week- old, Rottweiler -German Shepard mix puppy in his hands._

 _Her face lit up as he passed the pup to her. "You got me a dog?"_

 _"Not just any dog." Chris beamed going on as if he were a showroom salesman for world's worst used car lot. "This here is Daisy Mae, the best watch dog this side of the Mississippi."_

 _"You actually named my dog Daisy Mae?" Brody grinned before kissing the squirmy pup on the head._

 _"You'd rather call her Brutus? Cause ya can-" he was about to say more when Brody leaned in, silencing him with a kiss that told him she was more than pleased. The kissing continued for several moments until the pup started to playfully lick Brody's face._

 _I love you, Brody murmured as she pulled back watching his face change._

LaSalle scratched dog's head as she brought the ball back and dropped it into his lap. He didn't understand where the random memory had come from when all of his other memories of Brody were blocked by the images that Fod had planted in his head. He tried to recall more but his head was nothing but a swirling mess of graphic images and pain. And that damn song, where the hell was it coming from? He wanted to marshal the anger that was building up in his chest but it was coming on too fast.

Daisy started to whimper as she noticed a change in her human's demeanor, catching his attention. "Daisy Mae," he said looking down at the pup with a sad grin, "I gotta do something about your mama and me." He had to do something, before those damn images ate him up inside or worse. He wasn't exactly immune to his bad behavior, towards his partner, he just didn't know how to control it.

For the next several days, he purposely avoided Brody whenever possible. He'd even gone so far as to ask Savannah if he could crash on her couch so that Brody could have the house. He still didn't quite understand the disconnect, but as long as his partner was out of sight and out of mind, life seemed to be good.

* * *

After a thorough search of the ship, Brody was beginning to figure things out. The problem was she didn't know how to solve it. She needed to convince LaSalle that the majority of the images he'd been exposed to weren't real. She was hesitant in enlisting the help of Sebastian or even Pride for that matter, due to the sensitive nature of video feed.

Then she remembered a man she had met during her assignment as an Agent Afloat. Charlie Hanson was retired Naval Researcher who specialized in the in the effects of psychological warfare during the Saddam era. He was a trusted friend who she hoped to shed some light.

Brody set up a meeting at local coffee stand within the quarter. She was sitting at a picnic style table when he arrived.

"Charlie, it's good to see you." She greeted with a customary hug. "Thanks for coming out here so quickly."

Charlie hugged her back and pecked her cheek. "I must say I was surprised to get your call. What can I do for you?" Merri's call had sounded urgent so he wasted no time in getting down to business. "

Brody handed him his coffee and proceeded to put two packs of low calorie sweetener in her own. "Like I told you over the phone, my partner needs an intervention but I don't know where to start."

Charlie took a swallow of his coffee. Based on their earlier conversation, he knew exactly what she meant by the term intervention. "Well, first you have to get him to listen to you and then you have to find the breaking point. I guarantee that's what his captors did."

Merri looked at him curiously, "The breaking point?" It was hard to imagine that anyone could actually break LaSalle but it had happened and Fod had used her to do it. "How do I do that?"

"You have to make him believe the opposite of whatever lies were put into his head in whatever means possible. Find your hook and sink it into him, deep." Charlie took another swallow of coffee.

Brody looked down into her cup, "Easier said than done."

"If you'd like I can show you some techniques." he offered.

Brody felt a rush of heat in her cheeks. She was a little hesitant about the word techniques. "Did I mention that my partner and I live together?"

"All the more reason to get on with the intervention then."

After she had devised an outline with Charlie she went to Loretta's guest cottage where she carefully dissected the Internet feed that LaSalle had been forced to watch. With some expert advice from Sebastian she began to widdle it down frame by frame until there was nothing left but some original shots of she and Fod. The remaining frames were actually quite subtle she thought comparing it to the version that Fod had invented. Though she would still have to deal with the actions of her own consequences, at least it was authentic: one night in order to save her sister. No more, no less.

Step 1 complete.

Step two would involve her collecting everything that she associated with them being partners and lovers. Luckily, Brody was a big Instagram follower and had a ton of pictures stemming back to her first arrival in New Orleans. If she had to she would gather every photograph she could find and then some.

Step 3, this was tricky part. She would need Cade's help. She wasn't sure what she was going to tell Pride yet, but she was certain that if she just told him that she and Chris needed time to heal from all that they had been through that he wouldn't put up an argument. The hardest part was going to be keeping him and Sonja out of the loop. But if they knew what she was planning do… Pushing the thought from her mind, she began to work on Step 4, which was the breaking point.

* * *

 **White Bass Lake**

 **Mobile Alabama**

Cade LaSalle clapped his baby brother on the shoulder as they got out of the truck and started up the hill for their grandfather's cabin. Technically, it was Chris' cabin now, but they still referred to it as Pawpaw's fishing shack.

"What a beautiful day!" the older LaSalle exclaimed, as his great dane, Rufus wagged his long tail in excitement. "Got my dog, going fishing with my baby brother, life just couldn't be better."

"It's good to see you so optimistic," Chris grinned over his shoulder as Rufus ran a head of them chasing after a squirrel.

"Wish I could say the thing about you." Cade returned as they stepped up onto the porch.

LaSalle's eyes narrowed slightly as he reached into his pocket for the key. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well in case you have noticed you haven't been the same since you and Brody…"

Chris immediately cut him off. Cade, you're my brother and all but that ain't your business. I don't go poking into your love life."

"The hell you don't," Cade shot back. "You ran a background check on the last woman I dated."

Chris started to fumble with the door until it opened. "I do that to protect you."

"Yeah well, maybe it's time I protected you." Cade watched as the door swung open and Brody came into view. She was dressed in a black fitted t-shirt with capped sleeves and pair of matching black skinny jeans.

"Hello Boys."

Chris felt the blood begin to rise up into his face. "What in the hell is she doing here?"

"She wants to help you, Baby Brother." Cade replied earning a dirty look before Chris adverted his eyes back to Brody.

"Are you trying to turn my own brother against me?"

Brody stood with her shoulders squared, the interrogator in her coming out. "I'm trying to turn you back into the person you used to be. Fod did something to your mind, Chris and I intend to prove that to you."

Chris put a hand up and shook his head before turning into Cade. "I don't have time for this. C'mon, Cade we've got some fishin' to do."

For the first time in years, Cade stood with his chest out, taking a stand with his baby brother. "I think you need to listen to what she has to say, Chris."

LaSalle's face twisted in anger, "and I think you need ta get outta my way."

"Can't do it." Cade's chin jutted out, he was determined to hold his ground. He didn't quite understand everything that was going on with his baby brother, but he had trusted Brody when she told him that Chris needed help.

"I really don't want to have to do this." Chris returned clenching a fist just as Brody reached for her I-Pad and hit her I-Tunes App, filling the small one room cabin with the sounds of the tell-tale song that Fod had used against her partner.

"This hurts doesn't it?" she challenged watching her partner begin to cringe. The music was like a shock collar on a dog, paralyzing him in his tracks while he twisted in pain.

"Turn it off." He growled, not anticipating Cade's reaction. In one swift move, Cade rushed him like the ex-high school football star that he used to be and shoved him into a nearby chair.

"Sit down and listen to her before I kick your scrawny butt!" he huffed certain he just knocked the wind out of his baby brother.

Chris started to recover until he felt Brody grab him and start to slide the handcuffs around his wrists. "Really? This again?"

Brody marched around the chair, her hands on her hips "Like the man said, I need you to listen to me."

Chris looked down at the floor, chewing his bottom lip. Now that Cade had brought it to his attention, he was starting to realize just how far out of control he was. He still wasn't sure about Brody and her intentions but if his big brother was telling him he had a problem then it must be true.

"Ok, what do you gotta to say?" he relinquished looking up at Brody.

 **A/N: Not to worry, she won't leave him cuffed for very long.** :)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: If nothing else, this chapter contains an enhanced version of the pool table scene from Girl Astray for all of your romantics...**

 **Step 3: Saving someone who doesn't want to be saved...**

Brody felt her heart begin to thump as the realization hit. She had no idea of what she was doing beyond the suggestions that Charlie had given her. She had never actually deprogrammed anyone. What if she got it wrong? What if she couldn't fix him?

"Are those handcuffs really necessary?" Cade asked when they were out of ear shot.

Brody frowned at the tall man. She hadn't been forthcoming with all of the details for a reason. There were evil wicked people in the world that innocents like Cade should never be exposed to.

"I'm sorry," she said touching his arm. "I know this is hard."

Cade looked down at her hand on his forearm. "And this guy, Fod, did he really mess with Chris' mind?" The older LaSalle's voice went up an octave forming a fearful crack. He hated to think of himself as ignorant man but things like this just didn't happen in his world. Sure, he'd been through some crazy shit over the years but this seemed unfathomable.

"Yeah…he did." Brody said slowly not really knowing how to explain. "Chris…he's…really confused right now."

Cade ran a hand through his wavy hair. When Brody had first enlisted his help he thought that she and Chris had just had a lover's spat and needed alone time. "And you can fix this?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure." She said watching her partner intently. He was just sitting there wrestling with the anger that was building up inside of him. Sensing that things could get ugly, she handed Cade her car keys and told him to take the truck. Again, the less he knew the more she could protect him.

That's what Chris would want.

"But what about you?" If Chris was as out of control as Brody claimed then she was going to need help.

"I'll call you if I get into trouble."

Cade looked at her hesitantly, "You're not going to let him get hurt are ya?"

Brody tried to look at the older LaSalle with reassurance. But truthfully the overall outcome remained to be seen. She could guarantee that Chris would be fine physically, but as for the other…

"Cade, I love him." She said a bit more sharply than she intended.

She waited until Cade was out the door before crossing to the other side of the room and reached for a chair from the small kitchen table. She turned it around so that could straddle it and still face LaSalle.

Chris turned his head so that he was looking directly at her, lips pursed. The look on his face seemed to say, I'm listening, but resistant.

Brody placed her hands on the back of her chair. "So first things first, those images you saw of me on that ship. They weren't real."

For the longest while he said nothing, making her wonder if hadn't slipped into some sort of imperceptible state. He looked so lost and hollow.

"Most of them were lies, Chris you have to know that." She came back touching the side of his face. She wished that this was a simple case of him just needing to forgive her for seducing the man who had caused them so much torment, but there was more to it than that. Fod had literally poisoned his mind and trained him to despise her.

Reaching behind her, she grabbed a her I-Pad, opening up a digital scrapbook that contained the most cherished moments of her life. Dozens of photos of Brody and her two sisters appeared on the screen.

"After my sister, Emily died. Our family was broken; Sophie was all that I had left." When Sophie had first become engaged to Fod, Brody hoped that it would be the silver lining that would make her family whole again. But the lining quickly tarnished.

"She was married to a monster; I had to get her out of there." She went on to explain that she had taken a leave of absence specifically to focus on her sister but he didn't seem to be listening.

Cocking her head, she noticed a pinched expression across his brow. It was the same expression she had seen while he was in the hospital trying to break free of the coma.

"Are you in pain, right now?" she asked.

He shrugged letting his eyes drop to his lap. He wouldn't call it pain exactly it was more like nails on a chalkboard. The sheer sound of her voice ignited his last nerve ending nearly driving him to the edge.

Brody pinched the bridge of nose, this wasn't going well. If he was just going to give her the silent treatment then it was going to be a long hard road.

She pulled her hand away from face and grabbed him by the shoulders, her eyes beading back and forth intensely. "Talk to me!" They deserved better than this. "I won't lose you over this. I won't!" He hadn't nearly died in her arms just to come back and end things like this. She would not allow it.

Rising to her feet, she moved her chair back to the table. "You don't want to talk me? That's fine but you're sure as damn to hell going to look at me." With that she began to plaster the adjacent wall space with pictures of the two of them as well Daisy and their NCIS family. Every picture she could find whether it was relevant to them being a couple or hung with his eye's reach.

Do the opposite Charlie had said. Instead of Fod's horror show, Brody created a wall of love and family. "You see this," she said, pointing a finger. "This is what you believe in. This is who you are." She would make him stare at this wall for as long as it took.

Chris took some time to survey her handiwork, looking at each photo carefully. It wasn't as if he had forgotten these things, he just interpreted them differently now. Curious, he noticed that she had a small space directly in front him open. The portion of the wall was blank.

"What goes there?" He jutted out his chin in a motioning response.

"That's for later." Brody smiled at him. That space would be his breaking point.

Returning to her I-Pad, Brody once again went to her playlist. But this time instead of playing the offensive mind controlling song, she played something else.

"Do you remember this?" she asked as the sounds of Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's _Don't You Wanna Stay_ started to fill the cabin _._ It wasn't her favorite but it had been playing at the piano bar the night he decided to take her on the pool table. The following morning, she had caught him singing it in the shower and from then on it had just become their song.

* * *

 _"Rematch," Brody tossed him the pool stick._

 _Chris set the glass down and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…it's late."_

 _"You're afraid I might win." She teased._

 _Actually, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to get up in the morning. Now going on night four with Brody as a house guest he was starting to feel the effects of her constant all night escapades and had to wonder how she was physically keeping up with it._

 _Adrenaline maybe?_

 _"Loser gets the couch," he said accepting her challenge._

 _"You're on," Brody placed her hands on her hips, smiling sassily as he stepped up to the table and racked up the colored balls._

 _She circled around to the other side of the table and leaned on the edge. "Show me, whatcha got Bama Boy." She teased as the balls began to scatter in all directions, three of them finding their way into various pockets._

 _"I'm just getting' started," Chris eased his way down the table and fired the white ball into a set of two, both balls winding up in their respective pockets. "Looks like you're gunna be fending off Rufus for the couch."_

 _"Yeah?" Brody strutted up to him, placing a hand on the side of his face, creating a please let me kiss you expression. "Not if I do this first, "she said huskily making the distance between them incredibly small._

 _"Are ya sure you want this?" he whispered against her lips._

 _Slowly, she brought her lips to his, her heart pounding wildly. She's wanted this ever since she woke up in the hospital, crying over the thought that she had given up her sister, Sophie to Fod. When she retreats to that dark place of fear, the one that paralyzes her and makes her lose rational thought she thinks of Chris and how he took a bullet to the chest for her._

 _He returned her kiss deepening it until a moan escapes her. Her breath becomes heavier as he gently lifts her up onto the edge of the pool table. Her legs spread as her arms wrap around his neck. She doesn't know where this is going, but she doesn't want it to stop._

 _His first thought is to carry her into the bedroom, until he feels a burn in his left knee from where the bumper of the car clipped him. He knows he won't make it if he tries to lift her up again. So, gently, very gently, he lays her back on the smooth maroon velvet cover on the table and grabs the sheet from the couch. Two large cushions make the perfect set of pillows as Brody lies back, waiting to be taken._

 _Making love on a pool table will be a first for both of them as they settle in trying to find a comfortable position. But Brody's new obsession with playing game the makes the idea so irresistible that neither seems to mind the hard velvet covered surface._

 _Chris doesn't waste any time in running his hand up her exposed thigh as her lips part inviting him to drink from her mouth. He starts to smile as he kisses her and notices that her panties are already wet._

 _It's a geyser down there. She hasn't been with anyone since before she came to New Orleans, so she is more than ripe for the taking as his fingers gently touch her moist flesh._

 _She stares at him as his opposite hand tugs at the lacey material concealing his prize. Sensually, he pulls it from her hips letting his fingertips run down her outer thigh. This moment is going to change their partnership forever, strengthening it._

 _She lets out a nervous breath. He's hovering directly over her now, looking intensely at her big brown eyes. She can see that he's just as nervous. She wonders about his battered knee and briefly considers taking the lead. But this is their first time, so she decides to let him dominate. He's the one who saved her and ultimately her protector. He took a bullet for her and she'd gladly take one for him._

 _For the longest time, he does nothing but kiss her and caress her intimately, while she does the same. This moment, the first time, has to be absolutely perfect for it will be what comes to judge all others._

 _Perfection takes time, they need to learn things about each other memorize curves, listen for the little the sounds that are made, predict the others moves._

 _When she absolutely can't stand anymore she delicately raises her hips to him inviting him to enter, where only a few select people have been before. Not many but a few._

 _He's secretly pleased when she lets out a subtle noise from deep inside her throat. He'll can tell she's holding it back for his sake. Cade's asleep in the next room and they don't dare want to wake him, or the dog._

 _Unconsciously, she starts to giggle over the thought and wonders if she hasn't offended LaSalle's masculinity. But he doesn't waver. Instead he gently enters the sanctuary that she has invited him into. He exhales heavily, thankful that it slid in smoothly. Effortless is what it seemed like as her muscles started to clench around him, like he was some sort of key opening a lock. He pulls back and thrusts forward as they moan in sync as their perfection comes to light._

 _The urge not to fuck her hard until their both completely dry teases at the outer limits of his mind and he has to keep reminding himself that she has given him the privilege of letting him enter for the first time and he knows if he wants to eventually achieve unlimited access he has to get this right._

* * *

LaSalle starts to stare blankly into space as her counter strategy to bring him back begins to invade the space that is his brain. For whatever reason, the song is burning through is senses like a wildfire and for a few brief moments he can clearly remember the sensation of her flesh pressed up against his, the taste of her skin and the sweet smell of the perfume she had been wearing that night.

He's beginning to break.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here we are at the penultimate chapter! Almost finished!**

By the time morning comes, LaSalle feels the burn in his neck that has come from being forced to sleep, handcuffed in the chair all night. He's dog dead tired, because Brody kept him awake all night, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

Do you mind he asked suddenly, motioning to the cuffs. "I…uh…I gotta go to the little boy's room." He says trying to escape what can only be described as nightmare on Brody Street. No stalker in the world can compare to her.

Brody rolled her eyes before disappearing into the other room for a moment. When she returned she had a large red plastic bucket in her hands. "Here."

Chris flicked his gaze to the bucket that she has now set on the floor. "A bucket, really?"

"You tried to throw me out of our home." Brody said in caustic tone. "I can't trust you enough to take the cuffs off."

"Our home," Chris scoffed. "The last time I checked, my name was still the only one on the deed."

If he's honest with himself, he's more upset at her now over being pent up than he is about the whole Fod ordeal. The images are starting to fade from his mind now, clearing the way for rational thought. However, he's still not quite ready to give it all up.

Brody shakes her head. She doesn't know how to deal with this horror show anymore that has become her life. Sliding her hands into the pocket of her jeans, she takes out the key and releases his hands.

"There, go…do whatever you need to do…"

LaSalle can see that she's absolutely worn out and for a minute wonders if he isn't the crazy one. He excuses himself and when he returns, Brody is sitting on the old plaid couch that bares thread barren cushions, her knees draw to her chest. She's half surprised that he hasn't gone off running into the woods trying to escape all of this Fod created madness that she has played into.

"You're free to go Chris." She says defeated.

He shoves his hands into his pockets. "Well, being as you had Cade drive off in my truck with your car keys, I really can't go anywhere can I?" That's not entirely true, however this little intervention or whatever you wanted to call it has him intrigued now.

He moves over to her wall of LaSalle and Brody photos and stares at the blank the spot in the center. In his mind, he can't imagine what would be so intensely mind blowing that she would call it a breaking point.

"What goes here?" he asks really hoping she doesn't give her some sort of flippant answer.

Brody offers him a sad smile and decides that for the moment it is best if she remains a bit coy. "I don't think you're quite ready to see it yet."

His eyes narrow to reflect a slow smoldering burn. He's so damn confused and she isn't really giving him any answers. He opens his mouth to speak but this is interrupted by the appearance of Cade and Pride.

Cade immediately looks at Brody. "I'm sorry I just can't do this." The things that Brody told him just weren't making rational sense.

Pride looks to both of his agents still trying to comprehend Cade's wild story of brainwashing and Brody's attempt at reprogramming her partner. All the evidence is right there staring at him like an episode of Alias.

"You all right, Christopher?" he asks slowly.

Chris flicks his gaze to Brody and then back to Pride. "Truthfully, I don't know."

Brody lowers her eyes as he sidesteps, Pride and walks out the door with Cade.

"You and I are going to have a long talk about this." Pride tells her before falling in line behind the LaSalle brothers.

* * *

Over the next several days, Pride watched LaSalle closely. He doesn't doubt the things that Brody has relayed to him about what happened to Chris on that ship with Fod's people, but at the same time all he sees is the man he's always known. As far as the job goes, Chris seems one hundred percent.

Pride looks down at Brody through his aviator glasses as they head back to the Expedition, "He's rational, makes good decisions, and seems happy; I'm sorry Brody, I just don't see the things that you're tellin' me about."

Brody stops, "That's because everything that Fod did to him was directed at hurting me. He needs help, Pride."

Pride pulls his shades down onto his nose, "I don't doubt that, but without it affecting the job, I can't make him do anything that he doesn't want to." He paused for effect, "And _you_ can't go around handcuffing him every chance you get-" Anymore actions like that then Pride would have no choice but to suspend or her have her thrown back into the looney bin.

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it," Pride lamented, angry. "Whatever is going on between you and Christopher, cannot affect this team. Am I clear?" Pride didn't doubt that their relationship was strained what with everything that had happened with Fod, but he wasn't about to get in the middle of what looked to be a relationship that had gone sour.

"Listen," he sighed, his voice calming. "You and Christopher have been through a lot. Why don't you just try to take a step a back and let nature take its course?

"If it's meant to be, it's meant to be" Brody finished sardonically.

"Somethin' like that."

Brody frowned as he walked away. What Pride was suggesting was that she virtually start over from scratch. That was something she neither had the time or the energy for. She and Chris had already invested a lot into their relationship and to just throw it away well that wasn't acceptable.

* * *

 **Gator's Piano Bar**

Brody's heart pounded against her heart as she entered the smoke filled establishment and made her way to the bar. The very thought of coming back to the place where Chris had almost lost his life made her nauseous.

She saw him sitting at the bar, dressed in his good jacket and khaki pants, milking a whiskey and water.

Tugging at hem of her dress, she walked over her to him and perched herself on a barstool. "Thank you for coming." She said as she ordered a house Merlot.

He looked down into the bottom of his glass. "Believe me, I thought twice about it." Of all the places she could have chosen to talk.

"It wasn't exactly easy for me, either." But this was one place that was still filled with raw intense emotion for both of them. So much had happened here; from the first night that Chris had come in and saved her from making a fool of herself to the very last where he was bleeding out on the concrete outside.

"You look nice." She smiled fingering her glass.

"I have a date with Addy." He returned watching her face fall. His words hit her like a ton of bricks. Whatever she had been planning for the two of them had just been obliterated all to hell.

"What?" Her face was absolutely crestfallen, she was sure of it. How could he? She understood his anger and confusion but this? It was still so soon.

Chris made certain to keep his tone indifferent, "She called me, we're goin' to dinner."

"Oh well, I won't keep you long then." She swallowed hoping to hold back the flood that was threatening to spring from her eyes. Trying to save face, she started to move off of the barstool but Chris grabbed her arm.

"It's not what ya think." The date was nothing more than a simple thank you gesture for her help on a case.

Brody looked at him skeptical. If it was nothing then why had he intentionally driven an ice pick through her heart. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she pushed herself back up onto the stool.

"There's somethin' I want to tell ya." He said watching her eyes grow intense.

"I'm listening."

Chris looked down into his glass. "I understand what you had to do to save yer sister. Being with Fod..." At least he was trying to understand. There were still times when the images overwhelmed him but they were becoming less frequent and intense.

Her eyes widen slightly. "You do?"

Averting his eyes, he gave her a nod. "I guess, I'd so somethin' silimilar to save Cade or my sister."

Brody nodded. "Okay, so where does that leave us?"

"I don't know," he shrugged he knew there was still too much confusion and anger floating around in his mind, to warrant just scooping her up in arms and whisking her way. He could barely fathom the thought with all of the racket going on in his head.

"Well, let me help you." Her hands shaking, Brody reached into her purse, pulling out the last photo for the wall and slid it to him, face down.


	6. Conclusion

**_A/N: All right here we are at the end of this little detour. I had fun writing this alterative piece to G.U.F. Now onto the revel of the picture._**

 _Brody nodded. "Okay, so where does that leave us?"_

 _"_ _I don't know," he shrugged he knew there was still too much confusion and anger floating around in his mind, to warrant just scooping her up in arms and whisking her way._

 _"_ _Well, let me help you." Her hands shaking, Brody reached into her purse, pulling out the last photo for the wall and slid it to him, face down_.

* * *

She watched for a moment as he turned the picture over as she slid off the stool. Her back to him, she kept walking toward the door, with fresh tears of frustration welling in her eyes. She couldn't bare to watch his reaction. She wanted him to turn around and come after her.

"C'mon, turn around." She swallowed, tears falling down her face. She wanted so badly to confront him but instead she pushed her way through the door stepping out onto the sidewalk. Briefly she turned, looking back. He still wasn't there.

Oh god. Was it really over? Fod had won, her voice whispered ripping a crater inside of her soul. He'd really done it. He'd torn them apart. For a moment she was livid with LaSalle for being weak, for allowing Fod to come in and destroy what they had. Why couldn't he fight for her? How could he give up so easily?

What had Fod really done to him? Shown him some pictures? Photo shopped a video? Played some overly loud music? Then she remembered just how insidious Fod could be. The man had a Ph.D. in torture and torment. There was a chance that Chris' mind was just locked up too tight that he might never feel the same.

Consumed with her thoughts, Brody barely noticed that she had turned down the dreaded alleyway. A chill ran down her back as she walked past the spot where she and Chris had been standing when the hitman attacked.

* * *

 _"Bubble bath?" He kissed her softly. "I promise. I'll be with you the whole time." He would love her so much that she would forget everything she feared._

 _Brody raised an eyebrow before she consented to return the peck. The idea of a bubble bath was a little more tolerable but she still feared she wouldn't be able to get through it. "Kiss me some more and I'll think about it." She said huskily wrapping her arms around his neck. If nothing else, she would sway him away from anything that had to do with water._

 _For several moments they kissed until Brody felt an ominous presence surround them. Opening one eye, she saw one of Fod's minions, standing behind LaSalle yielding a knife._

 _"CHRIS!" she yelled, breaking out of the kiss._

* * *

She literally was standing in the black hole of her nightmares. Why had they stopped that night? Why didn't they just keep moving towards their cars instead of acting like hormonal teenagers?

Her chest was heaving so hard that she could barely breathe. She had to throw a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. The memory slowly faded as she quickened her pace, pushing through the remaining distance to the parking area.

She reached into her purse for her remote start and was met by a set of strong hands against her shoulders. Against her will, she was spun around into the driver's side of her car.

"What is this?" LaSalle's eyes were blazing at he held up the photo, desperate for an answer.

"You scared the hell out of me!" Brody replied, angry until she realized he must have gone out the side door and taken the long way around the building. Not that she blamed him but she didn't appreciate the return of the manhandling. Her first instinct was go all out Aikido on him and throw his ass to the ground, but what good would that do? Besides, he'd come after her, just like she hoped. That had to be a good sign. Right?

"Tell me what this means?" His blue eyes were pleading, begging for a detailed answer. Taking a step back, LaSalle pursed his lips in obvious frustration. "Is this a joke?"

Brody met his confused irises with her soft brown ones. The moment of his breaking point had finally come, the one thing that could bring him back. "It's not a joke, Chris."

He dropped the photo to his side, "What is it then?"

Brody reached up, cupping the side of his cheek. "It's what is going to save us, if you'll let it."

Instinctively, he pulled away averting his eyes. He couldn't look at her. "So does that mean, you're-"

"We're pregnant." She finished as he suddenly glanced back at her, shoving his hands into sides.

His first thought was to claim that is wasn't his but he held his tongue. "So when did this happen?"

Brody tried to hold back her smile. He was asking questions. That meant he was curious, willing to try, "about 4 weeks after we came back from Florida. It was right after Sam was killed."

Chris looked down at the ground, scratching the back of his head. "I have no memory of that." Except for the glorious memory of the two of them on Cade's pool table, he had no recollection of ever being with her after that. It was if someone had literally gone in and replaced his own memories with false ones of Fod and Brody.

"I can help, if you'll let me." She said, grabbing his hand, as he dropped them to his side. "And if that's not enough, when the time is right we can get a DNA test."

Chris shook his head, pulling away from her as the alarm on his phone went off, reminding him of his dinner date with Addie. "Can we talk about this later?"

"Sure," Brody pursed her lips, disappointment masking her face. She had the sickening feeling that she'd lost him. She did think it was ironic however that this would mark the second time he'd left her for a dinner with Addie.

"Here," he said, handing her the black and white ultrasound photo."

"Keep it." Leaning in, she pecked his cheek, their noses bumping, as their eyes became locked in a starry eyed glance. Deftly, she kissed him again, this time a little more sensual than the last.

"Meb'be I'll come see ya after dinner and we can talk," He his voice a strangled whisper, before turning away.

Then something occurred to her. They'd been in this situation before, "Hey Chris! Have a nice dinner with Addy."

She watched as he stopped stiffening, with curling firsts wondering if her words were triggering something. The first time she had said those words to him, they had just engaged in a serious lip lock that ended with her on her way to catch a plane to see Sophie, while he met Addy for dinner.

Turning, he walked straight back to her clutching her face, melting their mouths together, pressed up against her car.

Brody hated the fact that he had chosen to do this in nearly the same spot that had gotten them into trouble in the first place, but maybe if he just leaned into it instead of pulling away to the images, he'd be able to break free of the hold that Fod had over him.

"Stay with me." She pleaded, when the kiss broke, leaving her lips red and swollen.

He clung to her, keeping his eyes shut. The entire time he had been kissing her, distorted images were swirling in his mind. The images with two them, the images with Fod, they were all one big jumbled mess. He felt like such an idiot for not being able to distinguish fantasy from reality. Worse, he'd crushed her, broken her heart by repeatedly shoving her away. He should have stronger, he should have fought harder.

"I'm sorry," he apologized into her the tender flesh of her neck, the scent of her skin, teasing his senses. "I just don't know what's real anymore."

Pulling away, she cupped his cheek. "Then let me remind you."

* * *

Soft candlelight and his favorite black t-shirt covering her supple breasts and hips made for the perfect ambiance. "Close your eyes," she commanded.

Reluctantly, he did so but under slight protest, memories of being blindfolded, hanging from a pipe like a well-chosen piece of beef, while a woman who sounded like Brody whispered words of betrayal in his ear.

"I'd never hurt you, Chris," she felt his body go taut against the sensation of her lips against the thin flesh on his throat, trailing up to his jaw, point for Fod, for using another woman against her man she thought, flanking his face.

"Just relax, I got this." She guided him to the bed, directing him to sit down on the edge of the mattress, at the foot.

"Can I at least open my eyes now?" he asked as she shimmied out of her panties, straddled his hips and pushed him onto his back.

"If you must." Taking his hand, she slid it under the tee-shirt she was wearing, placing it on her flat stomach. "This is real." She smiled referring to the unborn child in her womb. It was their gift for surviving all of the hell Fod had put them through.

A small gasp erupted from inside her throat as his strong hands pulled her down on his chest.

"We're real." She melted as they started to go through their typical ritual of foreplay and lovemaking. Now, either Chris LaSalle had turned into womanizing pig who enjoyed the idea of being with a pregnant woman or he was trying to reconnect with her.

Brody prayed for the later.

He kept the light on just to see her face, eyes open as they stared down one another, trying to read the other's thoughts, watching and wondering about the horrors of the past. Tomorrow they would confront the idea of starting over if they had to, but for now they wanted to keep making love to each other.

She sighed pleasantly as he gently filled her giving her sense that he was no longer under Fod's vicious control. If he was she was going to suffer some vicious consequence later.

* * *

Brody opened her eyes, to find that he was still staring at her engrossed with the subtle lines on her face, and her mussed hair. Looking over him she gazed at the clock. It was early, not terribly so but enough to make her want to stay under the covers enjoying the extra body heat Chris was providing.

"What time did you go to sleep?" she asked throwing her arm over his chest.

The questioned sounded foolish rolling off her lips as her opposite hand started up his thigh.

"Ain't been ta sleep yet."

Her brow furrowed. "Why?"

His mouth curved into roguish grin. "Ya been filling my head with thoughts I can't control. Ya make me feel things I don't want ta feel. You and Fod, ya broke me." God, how she had make him feel things, unpleasant things, heart swelling things and mind blowing things.

"And?" She asked carefully.

Chris took in a breath and slowly let it out. "I've been lost but I think it's time I came home."

Brody's face fell into a large grin. He'd finally broken free. "You never left" she whispered huskily touching his face.

 _Fin! **A baby is cliché I know, but I thought our heroes deserved something after all they've been through.**_


End file.
